National Hurling League Quarter-finals/Waterford 1-20 Tipperary 1-19:There was, as Tony Brown said afterwards, a touch of championship in the air at Nowlan Park yesterday. Waterford and Tipperary went to the verge of requiring extra time of each other in this National League quarter-final before a fine point from Shane Walsh placed a thin slice of separation between the sides at the final whistle.
Something for everybody in the 70 minutes of hurling which preceded that grand climax.
Waterford's muscularity and work ethic are a joy to behold at times. If once again they go into a summer where they are deemed to be sipping in the last-chance saloon, they do so with clear heads.
In the first half their exuberance and strength brushed Tipp aside. After the break, however, with John Carroll dismissed slightly harshly for a late challenge on Aidan Kearney, Tipperary mounted a fine response and with key players dropping like flies with injury still managed to close to within touching distance at the finish.
Both Justin McCarthy and Babs Keating saw enough to nourish them as the summer approaches.
The first half suggested Tipp have problems lesser sides might not expose.
In defence they were bustled out of things for 35 minutes as Waterford tore through the centre again and again.
The emergency services provided by Paul Curran and Brendan Cummins prevented the margin from stretching to the point where the game was killed off entirely before the break.
In the battle of the Eoin Kellys, things went the way of the Waterford version. With the Tipp edition carrying a dead leg since the previous Sunday, the Waterford man scored 1-7 in the first half alone, his goal coming from a perceptive handpass from Séamus Prendergast after just six minutes. That put Waterford into a lead they never surrendered.
They got to half-time seven points clear, and with Cummins having produced a couple of fine saves, including one from a ground stroke from John Mullane which seemed destined for the net.
Tipp had a couple of chances themselves, both of which fell to Lar Corbett. Once he was tripped by Declan Prendergast at the cost of a yellow card and a free. The second time he kicked wide when bursting through.
They were isolated moments though in a listless first-half showing.
For the second half young Thomas Stapleton went centre back in a bid to place a fist in the dyke and he did well there.
Tipp took the first three points of the half to establish the platform for recovery, and even with Carroll gone it looked for a while as if Waterford weren't going to wake up from their half-time reveries in time to save themselves.
Paul Kelly's goal more than midway through the half hit Waterford like a dose of smelling salts though.
A long puck-out from Brendan Cummins broke kindly and Kelly buried the ball remorselessly to leave just a point between the teams with 12 minutes left.
Waterford suddenly clicked into gear, though, and the last quarter had the distinct feel of championship hurling about it.
Mullane responded with two points. Willie Ryan, in as a sub for Tipp, started into a string of scores which offered continuous hope for Tipp.
When the going gets tough though big men are what is needed and Waterford have them in abundance.
Dan Shanahan effected a fine catch out on the left and cashed it in for a point, one of a series of sublime scores which illuminated this portion of the game.
Corcoran responded for Tipp with a wonderful sideline cut, and with a minute left on the clock Willie Ryan equalised with a great score.
Seconds ticking away.
Eoin Kelly and Ryan again swapped frees before Shane Walsh under pressure from three backs out on the right wing broke free from a second and scored a point worthy of winning a bigger game in front of a bigger audience (13,500 were there).
"It was important for the young lads to get a taste of championship pace," said Tipp's Paul Kelly of the final few minutes.
Important but costly perhaps.
Tipp carried away a few small injuries, but some more serious ones also.
Paul Kelly and Eoin Kelly are expected back soon.
Conor Mahony went early and looked damaged. Pa Bourke went off and Tipp expected he might have a bone or two broken in his ankle.
"It was a good performance in the second half," said Babs. "The first half wasn't worthy of a Tipp team. We let them know. It was all about championship.
"I hope we regroup in time for the Limerick game. We showed good character.
"There's a worry though - the training we should be doing for the next few weeks those guys won't be able to do it. "
"A good win. Game of championship proportions. Work to do," offered Justin McCarthy in a brief drive-by-style press conference.
Waterford's targets are short-term. They get down to worrying about Cork next Sunday.
WATERFORD: C Hennessy; E Murphy, D Prendergast, J Murray; T Browne, K McGrath, A Kearney; M Walsh (capt), E McGrath; E Kelly (1-9, seven frees), S Prendergast (0-2), S Molumphy; J Mullane (0-3), D Shanahan (0-3), J Kennedy (0-2 frees). Subs: S Walsh (0-1) for E McGrath (29 mins), P Flynn for Molumphy (51 mins), S O'Sullivan for J Murray (70 mins).
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; A Byrne, P Curran, C O'Brien; E Corcoran (0-1, sideline cut), C O'Mahony, B Dunne (capt); H Maloney, T Stapleton; S McGrath, R O'Dwyer (0-2), P Bourke; E Kelly (0-8), L Corbett (0-3), P Kelly (1-1). Subs: J Carroll (0-1) for C O'Mahony (23 mins), W Ryan (0-3, two frees) for E Kelly (56 mins), D O'Hanlon for P Kelly (57 mins), T Scroope for P Bourke (65 mins).
Referee: M Haverty ( Galway).
